SEO Basics: How to Do SEO for Beginners

Use this complete beginner’s guide to SEO to understand the basics that can help you start building a strategy that boosts your website’s traffic.

What Is SEO?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your website to help it appear more prominently for relevant topics when people search using Google and other search engines.

For example, SEO helps websites focusing on the term “best coffee makers” appear among the top results.

This matters because higher rankings often lead to more clicks and visits.

Why Is SEO Important?

SEO is important because it brings free, targeted traffic to your website every month.

Consider that most online experiences start with a search engine. 

When someone needs a product, service, or information, they head straight to Google. If your website shows up for these searches, you can attract visitors actively looking for what you offer.

Plus, people generally trust organic (free) results more than ads. 

Users know businesses pay for ad spots, but earning a top organic spot means Google considers your content relevant and helpful. This can help build credibility with potential customers.

The best part? 

Once you rank well, you can get consistent organic traffic without paying for visitors. 

Compare that to social media, where your posts lose traction over time. Or paid ads that drain your budget with every click.

How Do You Make Sure Google Can Index Your Site?

The first step to SEO is making sure Google can crawl (find) and index (i.e., store your pages in a database) your site.

Google uses crawlers (also known as spiders) to discover pages and read their content. It can then add those pages to its index.

Here’s a simplified visualization of how crawling, indexing, and displaying results works (though there are problems that can get in the way of any step in the process):

To help Google crawl and index your pages, you’ll want to use Google Search Console. This free tool shows you how Google sees your pages and alerts you about major issues that could hurt your rankings.

Sign up for GSC to begin.

After setting up your account, create anXML sitemap to guide crawlers.

A sitemap is like a table of contents for your website that search engines can easily understand. It lists all your important pages.

This is what a sitemap can look like:

Most website platforms (like WordPress and Wix) create sitemaps automatically. But you can also create one using a tool like XML Sitemaps Generator.

Once you have a sitemap, submit it in Search Console by going to “Sitemaps” and entering your sitemap URL.

The status column should read “Success.”

Next, go to “Indexing” > “Pages” to identify any URLs that aren’t indexed.

It’s normal to have pages that aren’t indexed. But if you notice any important pages that you want to be eligible for rankings, work to identify and address the issue. 

Further reading: How to Get Your Website Indexed by Google

SEO 101: Search Engine Optimization Basics for Beginners

Keyword Research

Keyword research is the process of identifying terms your potential customers use when searching for topics related to your brand, products, or services.

In other words, keyword research shows you what users are actually searching for. So you can create content that answers their queries and attracts them to your site.

For example, a coffee shop owner might know that “best coffee shop” is a good keyword to target. 

But they likely need to do keyword research to find out that their audience is also searching for queries like “where to get oat milk lattes” and “coffee shop with workspace near me.”

Effective keyword research lets you find topics your audience cares about and understand the search intent (the goal behind the search), so you can create effective content. 

Find relevant keywords using the Keyword Magic Tool. 

Enter a broad term related to your niche, set a country, and click “Search.”

The tool provides a list of “Broad Match” terms by default, which contain your starting keyword(s) and close variations.

When choosing keywords for your site (or a specific page), focus on relevance first.

For example, a business shouldn’t target “specialty coffee” if it doesn’t sell specialty coffee.

After ensuring relevance, consider two other keyword metrics:

• Volume: The keyword search volume—the average number of monthly searches
• KD %: The keyword difficulty score—a measure of how challenging it will be to achieve a top-10 ranking for a given term

Keep in mind that ranking highly for low-volume, highly relevant keywords often drives valuable traffic.

Start small, then aim for more competitive terms as your site’s SEO performance improves. 

Further reading: 

• 11 Best Keyword Research Tools (Free + Paid)
• The Ultimate Keyword Research Checklist

Quality Content 

Let’s get into how tocreate content that both search engines and users will love.

Understand What Searchers Want to See

Understanding what people want to see when they search for a query means discovering the reason behind a user’s query (this is called search intent).

Knowing search intent lets you produce content that users are more likely to find useful. And that’s more likely to rank in search results.

Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines divide search intent into four categories:

• Know: The searcher wants to learn more about something
• Do: The searcher wants to do something or participate in an activity
• Website: The searcher is looking for a specific site or page
• Visit-in-person: The searcher is looking for a specific business or category

But SEO professionals typically use the following four types of search intent:

• Informational: The user wants more information
• Commercial: The user wants to compare different options before buying
• Navigational: The user wants to find a specific page or website
• Transactional: The user wants to take an action (like making a purchase)

One way to determine intent is by reviewing the top-ranking pages for a keyword (also called doing a SERP analysis).

For example, the search engine results page (SERP) for “how to make a latte at home” shows how-to videos and step-by-step guides.

Making content with a similar format can increase your chances of ranking well. 

Another way to quickly identify a keyword’s intent is to use Semrush’s Keyword Overview tool. Just look for the “Intent” widget. 

If you’re doing keyword research with the Keyword Magic Tool, find any keyword’s intent by looking at the “Intent” column.

Create High-Quality Content

High-quality content is accurate, helpful, trustworthy, relevant, and user-friendly, which is exactly the type of content Google wants to reward.

Some characteristics of quality content include: 

• Thorough coverage of the topic
• Clear organization and structure
• Up-to-date information
• Expert insights and/or original research
• Engaging visuals
• Error-free writing
• Mobile-friendly formatting

Use the SEO Writing Assistant to help you craft quality content. 

Add your target keywords, and the tool will provide recommendations for readability, originality, tone of voice, and SEO. 

Further reading:

• SEO Writing: 16 Tips for Creating SEO-Optimized Content
• Importance of Content in SEO: Why it Matters + How to Create it

Optimize Content that Appears Above the Fold

Content that appears “above the fold” refers to the first screen users see when they land on your webpage and serves as the page’s first impression. 

If visitors don’t quickly find what they’re looking for, they might leave. Which can hurt your performance.

A good above-the-fold section does the following:

• Includes your main keyword naturally
• Clearly provides value
• Uses clear, simple language
• Avoids intrusive elements

Here’s an example of an effective above the fold section:

User Experience

User experience (UX) is how visitors interact with and perceive your site (its design, usability, etc.)—and Google values a positive user experience.

Here are some key best practices for ensuring a positive UX:

Use Enticing CTAs

A call to action (CTA) is a prompt that encourages site visitors to take a specific action, like subscridomain to your newsletter, scheduling a demo, or making a purchase.

Make your CTAs specific and value-focused:

• Not great: "Click here"
• Better: "Get your free SEO checklist"

Here’s an example of a Semrush CTA to get visitors to sign up for a free trial: 

The CTA is clear, highlights a tangible benefit, and drives action. 

Place your main CTA above the fold for conversion-oriented pages and test variations to see what resonates best with your audience.

Avoid Walls of Text 

Most readers scan rather than read every word, so steering clear of large blocks of text makes it easier to quickly spot key information.

Break up your content into easy-to-scan chunks by doing the following:

• Use short sentences and paragraphs
• Add white space
• Include images or other visual breaks every 200-300 words
• Write descriptive subheadings

For example, the screenshot below uses short paragraphs, images, and headings to break up the text. Which makes it very easy to read and follow. 

Use Bullets, Numbered Lists, and Short Paragraphs

Break up content with bullets, numbered lists, and short paragraphs. This approach improves scannability and maintains user interest.

Here are some ways to use these elements effectively:

• Turn long paragraphs into bullet points
• Start list items with action words
• Keep bullets consistent in length and style
• Use numbered lists for step-by-step instructions
• Use a mix of short paragraphs, lists, and visuals to create rhythm throughout your pages

Check out this example from one of our blog posts:

On-Page SEO 

On-page SEO is the process of optimizing a page’s content, HTML elements, and structure to provide a better user experience and increase your chances of ranking well.

Here are some on-page SEO elements you can optimize today: 

Title Tags

Title tags are HTML titles that can appear as clickable headlines in search results. 

Google uses title tags to understand your content's topic. But, more importantly, compelling titles convince people to click through to your site.

Do the following to write effective title tags:

• Stay between 50-60 characters
• Include a target keyword
• Clearly describe the page
• Write a unique title tag for each page

Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are short summaries of a page that can appear as a snippet below the title on SERPs.

While meta descriptions don't directly affect rankings, they can influence click-through rates.

To write effective meta descriptions, do the following:

• Stick to 105 characters or fewer
• Include the target keyword naturally
• Highlight the page's value 
• Include a clear CTA
• Write a unique meta description for each page

Heading Tags 

Heading tags are HTML tags on pages that organize your content into sections and help Google understand the structure of your pages. 

It’s best to use headings and subheadings (H2-H6) to segment topics in a hierarchical and logical way.

Like this:

Here are some other tips to use heading tags effectively:

• Include one H1 tag per page
• Use your target keyword in the H1
• Structure main topics with H2s and subtopics with H3s and smaller
• Keep headings descriptive and clear

Page URLs 

A URL is the address of a specific webpage or file on the internet, and it can help search engines understand your page better.

Your URL (and the larger structure of your website) can also influence how your URL path is displayed in search results. Which may influence searchers. 

Let’s say you’re choosing between the following URL slugs (the last part of the URL):

• /shoes/2789469760/
• /red-shoes/

Which one would you say is better optimized?

The second one. Because it accurately reflects what’s on the page while still being concise.

To optimize your URLs:

• Keep them descriptive but concise
• Use your primary keyword
• Separate words with hyphens
• Remove unnecessary words (“a,” “the,” “and.” etc.)
• Avoid special characters

Images

Images can make your content more engaging and bring in traffic through Google image searches.

But search engines can't "see" images. So, you need to make sure they can understand what’s being shown.

To optimize images for search:

• Use descriptive file names (mountain-hiking-gear.jpg—not IMG001.jpg)
• Add relevant alt text to describe each image (include your keyword when it makes sense)
• Compress files to improve loading speed with tools like TinyPNG
• Choose the right file format (WebP is often best, but you can also use JPG for photos and PNG for graphics)

Further reading: Image SEO: How to Optimize Images for Search Engines & Users

Internal Links

Internal links point from one page on your site to another page on your site—they help search engines understand your site’s structure, pass link authority, and help users find related content. 

Here’s what an internal link looks like on a live page:

Use internal links effectively by doing the following::

• Use descriptive anchor text (the clickable, linked text)
• Add relevant internal links to new pages
• Audit and fix broken internal links regularly

Also, consider giving low-performing pages a boost by linking to them from your pages with high link authority to share authority between pages.

Find pages with high link authority using the Internal Linking report in Site Audit. And link from those pages to your underperforming pages.

Link Building

Links from other websites to yours (called backlinks) are like votes of confidence that can lead to better rankings. 

The more high-quality backlinks (i.e., backlinks from reputable websites) you have pointing to your pages, the higher your site’s authority in the eyes of Google. And the higher you may be able to rank. 

How do you do that? With some effective link building tactics:

Build Links from Associations, Suppliers, and Connected Business

You already have connections with other businesses, so turn those relationships into links. 

Many of your suppliers, business partners, and industry associations have partner pages or member directories where they can link to your site.

Start by making a list of:

• Companies you buy from
• Professional organizations you belong to
• Business partners you work with
• Chambers of commerce in your area

Then, reach out with a simple email asking to be added to their partners page. Since you already have a relationship, many will be happy to link to you.

Submit Your Site to Quality Directories

If you’re a local business or work in a specific niche, getting your site on a legitimate directory can send you traffic and possibly some link authority.

Focus on industry-specific directories where your customers are likely to find you.

And be aware that most well-known directories (Yelp, Yellow Pages, etc.) use attributes that tell search engines not to treat the links as endorsements. Which can make those links less valuable than standard links. 

Use a tool like Listing Management to automatically submit your business information to top directories.

Earn Links from the Press

Getting mentioned in news articles and industry publications is one of the best ways to build powerful links. 

Here's how to start attracting attention from the press:

• Follow key journalists in your industry on social media and engage thoughtfully with their content
• Create reports with original data, surveys, or research and share those reports with publications
• Build a detailed media kit with your expertise areas, past coverage, and contact information
• Monitor trending topics in your industry and pitch relevant expert commentary
• Write press releases for genuinely newsworthy company updates
• Connect with local news outlets about community initiatives

Focus on building relationships with journalists rather than just asking for links. 

When you provide real value and establish yourself as a reliable expert source, the links will come naturally.

Create Content That Attracts Backlinks

Content that naturally attracts backlinks includes original research, infographics, timely content, and comprehensive guides.

That’s because these types of content provide new, interesting information. Or simplify existing information to make it more understandable. 

Technical SEO

Technical SEO ensures search engines can effectively find, understand, and index website content. 

Here are three key technical elements you need to get right:

Provide Crawling Instructions with Your Robots.txt File

A robots.txt file tells search engines which of your pages they should and shouldn't crawl, which helps search engines prioritize the most important pages.

For example, you definitely want search engines to crawl blog pages focused on valuable keywords. But you probably don’t want them to crawl admin pages.

Depending on your site’s content management system (CMS), you may already have a robots.txt file set up. You can typically find it at: https://www[yourdomain.com]/robots.txt.

Here’s what a robots.txt file can look like:

If you don’t have one yet, create one.

But be careful to avoid accidentally blocking any important pages with disallow directives. And use Google Search Console's robots.txt tester to validate your file

Optimize Your Core Web Vitals

Google’s Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that indicate how user-friendly your site.

They include the following:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures how long it takes for the largest element on your page to load
• Interaction to Next Paint (INP): Assesses how quickly a webpage responds to user interactions
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures much the elements on a page unexpectedly shift as the page loads

The better your pages perform according to these metrics, the better experience they provide. And the better they can rank.

Follow this step-by-step process to check and improve your Core Web Vitals:

Open Google Search Console and head to “Experience” > "Core Web Vitals."

Then, look for pages marked as "Poor" or "Needs Improvement."

Run those URLs through PageSpeed Insights to get specific recommendations on how to fix them.

Like this:

Or, use the Core Web Vitals report in Site Audit to see specific recommendations for 10 pages of your choosing.

Just click “View details” in the “Core Web Vitals” section.

Look for the “Metrics” section to see your scores and recommendations on how to improve them.

Further reading: Google PageSpeed Insights: What It Is & How to Boost Your Score

Use HTTPS

HTTPS is a protocol that lets web browsers communicate with web servers in a secure way (using encryption) and is a ranking factor.

Migrating from HTTP to HTTPS is straightforward:

• Purchase an SSL certificate (many hosts offer them for free)
• Set up 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS
• Update any links and assets that are still using HTTP
• Update your property in Google Search Console and submit a new sitemap

Mobile SEO

Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it prioritizes the mobile version of your site’s content. 

So, if your site isn’t optimized for mobile SEO, it could perform poorly in search results.

Here are a few ways to make sure your website is mobile-friendly: 

• Prioritize quick load times
• Use a responsive website layout that automatically adapts to the user’s screen
• Optimize title tags and meta descriptions for mobile SERPs
• Keep paragraphs short and use plenty of white space
• Avoid intrusive pop-ups
• Make all your buttons and text accessible and readable

Measuring SEO Success 

Track and measure key SEO metrics to evaluate your SEO performance and determine whether you need to make any adjustments.

Here are some metrics to consider monitoring:

Organic Search Traffic 

Organic search traffic refers to how many visits your site gets from organic (unpaid) search engine results. 

The best way to measure this metric is using Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

Go to “Reports” > “Acquisition” > “Traffic acquisition.”

Set the time range to the latest full month and check the “Organic Search” row to see how many visits your site got from search. 

And monitor this number each month to see whether your SEO efforts are driving more traffic to your site. 

To see how strong your organic traffic performance is compared to your main competitors, use Traffic Analytics.

Further reading:

• SEO Traffic: What It Is & 6 Ways to Increase It
• Google Analytics for Beginners: Getting Started with GA4

Keyword Rankings

Keyword rankings refer to where your website ranks on a SERP for specific keywords.

This is an important metric to track because the higher you rank, the more traffic you can get from search engines.

Track your Google rankings using Google Search Console.

Go to “Performance” > “Search results” and check all the boxes at the top.

Then, scroll down to the “Queries” table to see up to 1,000 keywords your site is ranking for. 

For more useful insights, use Position Tracking.

Add the keywords that matter most for your business, and the tool will track your rankings daily. 

Further reading: SEO Ranking: Factors & Tips to Improve Your Positions

Engagement Time

Engagement time is the average time your webpage was the visitor’s main focus. 

It’s a helpful metric to see how well your content satisfies search intent.

In GA4, the engagement rate is the percentage of sessions (website visits) that meet at least one of these criteria:

• Last longer than 10 seconds,
• Include a conversion event
• Involve at least two page or screen views

To check engagement time, go to “Reports” > “Engagement” > “Pages and screens.”

Look for the “Average engagement time per active user” column.

Investigate pages with notably low numbers. And study them to determine what may need improvement. 

Further reading: What Is Engagement Rate in GA4? + How to Improve It

Conversions

A conversion is when a visitor completes a desired action on your site like subscridomain to your newsletter, requesting a demo, or making a purchase. 

Conversions indicate whether your SEO efforts drive actual business results.

To track conversions, use Google Analytics. 

In GA4, conversions are called “key events.” Use Google’s guide to learn how to create and edit key events.

Then, find your conversions by going to “Reports” > “Acquisition” > “Traffic Acquisition.” Look for the “Key events” column.

Specifically, look at the “Organic Search” column to see how well you’re driving conversions through SEO.

Further reading:

• How to Set Up GA4 Conversion Tracking: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Increase Your Conversion Rate (Tips That Work)

Start Your SEO Journey

You now have the basics of SEO down. And a blueprint for better search rankings. 

Start small—maybe optimize one important page or fix a technical issue. Each win builds momentum.

But proper tools make all the difference. 

So, sign up for a free forever Semrush account. You’ll get access to 55+ tools that let you:

• Do keyword research
• Analyze your competitors
• Create optimized, user-friendly content
• Track your keyword rankings
• Run a technical site audit

Plus more.